Simply My Job
by 23a
Summary: AU, Snow and Charming decided to give Regina the throne and their daughter Emma grows up learning to always help others, she starts separating what is right and what she cares about. Doing the right thing is no longer personal for her, just a job. But when a young girl claiming to be of royal descent stumbles in her path, the lines between right and personal begin to blur.
1. Prologue

_"Alright", Snow said. "Regina, you can have the kingdom. _

_And so it began. Emma grew up with the tale; the day her mother and father gave the kingdom to the Evil Queen. The kingdom did okay, though not as well as it would have under them. The only lives drastically changed were those of Snow White, Prince Charming, and the dwarves. And Emma. _

_"Emma, you're a princess", Snow always told her, as long as she could remember. "A true princess." But Emma didn't feel like a princess. She was a bandit, like Mommy and Daddy. And they lived in a small bandit camp with the dwarves and Robin Hood and his merry men. Emma loved her life, but certainly, she did not think of herself as a princess. When Emma was 2, little Neal came into her life. When she was 5, there was Nancy. When she was 8, Tommy was born. But it was when she was 16 that her life changed forever._

* * *

><p>"Quickly, Emma, quickly!", Nancy yelled, her 11-year-old self much faster than the slightly preoccupied 16-year-old.<p>

"Nancy, I'm coming!", Emma yelled back. She wasn't going fast because she was distracted thinking about a boy she had met yesterday, Bae. They had spoken only for a couple of moments, but Emma had found herself attracted to him. Nancy ran off farther, into the woods, and Emma couldn't see her anymore. "Nancy? Nancy?"

Suddenely, she heard her sister scream.

* * *

><p>Emma was in the forest in seconds, running to Nancy. "Nancy?!"<p>

"Emma!" Emma sighed with relief. Nancy had just tripped over a log.

"Nancy, are you okay?"

"No, I think I broke my ankle", Nancy said.

Emma looked. "You did... I'll have to carry you then."

Suddenely a crackling noise made both girls turn their heads, and a woman came out in a black gown. "Who are you?", Nancy asked.

"I'm Regina", the woman said. Regina... it was her. A young boy walked out of the woods.

"Who's this?", Emma asked.

"Please!", the boy said, "She's trying to take me!"

"You can't do that!", Emma yelled, grabbing the boy and putting him behind her. He ran away.

"You'll pay for that", Regina said. She raised her hands, all set to shoot magic at Nancy, but Emma stood in the way just in time. The spell struck her , and she collapsed, unconscious.

* * *

><p>Emma woke up groggily back at the camp, with her mother above her. "Mom! What -"<p>

Snow silenced her daughter. "Em, Neal was walking and he heard Nancy calling for help so he and Robin went out and brought you girls in. You're okay."

"Regina, she -"

"I know, Emma. She was trying to hit Nancy's head, but when you stood in front of it, it only managed to redirect a bit and got you in the stomach, so you lived."

"Barely", Emma muttered.

"Emma, you were a hero."

"Well that has to stop."

"What?"

"I nearly died, and worse, nearly lost Nancy, trying to help that little boy. Nancy almost got hurt, because I involved someone I cared about in doing the right thing. I have to separate those, for my sake, and for my family's."

"What does that even mean?"

"From now on, I don't do what's right because I care. If I care, people get hurt. From now on, doing the right thing is simply my job."


	2. The Way Life Goes

_I think I cried, that day. It wasn't fun, you know. But now, I'm glad it happened. Funny, isn't it? Guess that's just the way life goes. _

Henry smiled, and Emma did too. She hadn't been sure what to think when she'd found herself pregnant, at only 17. Her father had gotten so mad. He had nearly driven Baelfire out of the camp. But Emma wouldn't trade her son for the world. He was growing into such a great person, now 10 years old and learning to swordfight and ride horses. He was a great kid. She and Bae both took turns with Henry, but they didn't live together. Her father had practically threatened Bae at sword-point.

Now, Emma was off on her rounds of going about the kingdom, looking for anyone who needed her help. Her job. And nothing more. Suddenely, she heard a scream. She spurred her horse onward and raced towards the source. She saw the burning wreck of a carriage, with three bodies laying near it. She dismounted and went over to the bodies. There was a woman, a man, and a little girl. She checked the woman and the man. Both were dead. Then she went over to the girl. She looked maybe 6 or 7, perhaps a bit older. Emma checked. She had a pulse. She looked around at the carriage, the dead man and woman, probably the girl's parents. Better she wake up... not here. She picked the girl up and placed her on the back of the horse gently, and rode back to camp. She figured the girl must have been the one who screamed, right before going unconscious. She rode into the camp and carefully dismounted, then picked the girl up and brought her into her tent. She was already stirring. Emma waited patiently for her to wake up.

When she did, she looked around for a bit, panicked, and asked, "Where am I? Who are you?!"

"I'm Emma", Emma replied. "What's your name?"

"I'm... I'm Christine."


End file.
